


Woven by a Single Thread

by SugarsweetRomantic



Series: May the water be safer as I dive in [1]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Blood Loss, Emotional Hurt, F/F, FalseSymmetry Whump, Hurt No Comfort, Major Character Injury, Mind the Tags, Permadeath, Stabbing, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28798797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugarsweetRomantic/pseuds/SugarsweetRomantic
Summary: False is hurt.
Relationships: Falsesymmetry/ZombieCleo
Series: May the water be safer as I dive in [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2116293
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	Woven by a Single Thread

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning: blood loss, injury, stabbing, panic, not necessarily a happy ending.
> 
> Mind the tags; this is _not_ a happy fic.

Blood doesn’t scare Cleo. She sees it every time she looks down at her own abdomen; sees her organs and veins, unprotected from the elements, just existing. Blood is life. It’s what keeps her walking and flying and  _ loving _ , even if her heart beats only a few times per minute. A few drops every now and again when she gets a paper cut or when one of Joe’s dogs is just a little too rough is nothing but a reminder that she is, in fact, not dead. 

This was nothing like that.

This was bloodsoaked clothing covering pale skin and staining golden hair. This was Stress and Joe barking orders as Xisuma teleported multiple Hermits into the clinic in an absolute panic, so unlike the usual calm demeanour of the three. This was Ren’s tear-stained face while he repeated his apologies over and over and over again; that they had only been sparring and that he had tripped and had fallen and had never meant to--  _ oh God, Falsie! _

It was Stress telling her and Cub to come over to the stretcher they had laid her on to help them, because everyone else was freaking out too much. It was Iskall gently guiding Ren to a different room, pulling him along by his arm. It was Xisuma contacting the Central Hub to see if there were any trauma surgeons available anywhere, preparing for the inter-world teleport. It was Scar announcing the shopping district would be closed until tomorrow. It was Grian murmuring in Galactic as he contacted the Watchers, asking them for help. It was multiple Hermits huddled together in hallways, praying to their respective deities or just holding each other because it was all they could do.

Xisuma ran off towards the world spawn with Wels. Wels was preparing to drag a promised first-responder to the clinic, while Xisuma would wait for an actual surgeon to arrive. Cub was helping Joe insert an IV into False’s arm, when Stress suddenly spoke up again.

“Cleo, I need you to put pressure on this.” She guided Cleo’s hands over to False’s abdomen, where layers of gauze were covering the spot where she knew Ren’s sword had penetrated her body. Glancing up at False’s face, Cleo shuddered at the sight. False was paler than she had ever seen her; passed out from either pain or blood loss or both, Cleo wasn’t sure. She was no medic. “Cleo!” Stress called again. “Do I need to get someone else?” Shaking her head, Cleo pressed down gently.

“No, sorry.” Stress sighed exasperatedly.

“Harder, Cleo.” Cleo hesitated. She could feel the gauze soaking slowly. Blood was life, but this was so, so bad. Biting her lip, she used her full weight to press down on the wound. 

False’s eyes shot open, and her pained cry pierced Cleo’s undead heart.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, repeating her useless apology over and over. False whimpered, attempting to paw at her arms, but she was held in place by Joe and Cub. “I’m so sorry, I…” Cleo’s vision was starting to get blurry. When had she started crying? Cleo didn’t cry; she didn’t express her emotions like that, especially not in front of others. “I lo--”

A loud crash interrupted her as Wels, Xisuma, and two women Cleo didn’t know burst into the clinic. Before she knew it, Cleo was pushed back out into the hallway with Cub, and the door slammed shut behind them. 

Now what?


End file.
